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Hijacked Marine Express recovered, crew safe and well

The product tanker Marine Express and its twenty-two crew members,
who were attacked by pirates on February 1 while anchored off Benin, Gulf
of Guinea, have re-assumed control of their ship, the ship’s manager Anglo-Eastern
said.

Details
regarding the terms of the ship’s rescue operation have not been released.

The 45,989
dwt oil products tanker Marine Express was at the Cotonou Anchorage, Benin, when
all communication with the vessel was lost.

“Full control of the vessel was resumed at approximately 04:00
Singapore time today. All crew members are reported to be safe and well,
and the cargo of 13,5000 tons of gasoline remains on board,” Anglo-Eastern added.

“We wish to express our gratitude to the captain and crew of the
vessel and their families for their courage and fortitude in dealing with this
difficult situation, as well as the authorities and agencies involved.”

The families
of the crew members have been informed of the situation, and now a
comprehensive investigation into the hijacking will be carried out.

The region
is notorious for piracy groups that target commercial ships and often
kidnap seafarers for ransom.

Marine
Express is the second tanker to be taken by pirates in the region since the
beginning of this year.

The Marshall
Islands-flagged tanker MT Barrett and its 22 crew members were hijacked at the
beginning of January. However, they were released from captivity after a six-day ordeal.